Kolkata: Massive Left March Demands End to Gaza Genocide
Subinoy Moulik
Thousands of people took to the streets of Kolkata, carrying red flags and colossal flags of Palestine, to protest the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. The demonstration, held on October 4, marched from Rabindra Sadan to Dharmatala, with the entire area resonating with slogans like, "Stop the Genocide in Gaza! Free Palestine!" The rally, called by Left parties, was led by prominent figures including Left Front Chairman Biman Basu, CPI (M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty, and CPI (ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
International Outcry
For the past two years, the US-backed Israeli regime has waged a relentless war of destruction on Gaza, leaving entire communities devastated. A humanitarian crisis looms large due to the scarcity of food and medicine, leading to conditions of pandemic, where children are dying from bombing and starvation.
The march was organized to specifically protest Israel's recent attack on the international aid flotilla, the 'Global Flotilla,' seizure of relief materials, and the arrest of international environmentalists and activists, including Greta Thunberg. Demonstrators chanted "Free Free Palestine" and carried posters and banners, demanding that the Indian government take a stronger stand against Israeli aggression.
Modi's Silence
Speaking to reporters during the march, Biman Basu asserted that the demand to end the Gaza genocide is a global one, and the people of Kolkata are also raising their voices in solidarity. He condemned the seizure of the 'Global Flotilla,' stating that intercepting aid ships is a violation of international law, yet the United Nations remains silent.
Challenging remarks made by Donald Trump, Bose labelled him the "mouthpiece of right-wing forces." In response to questions about the appropriateness of a protest during the festive season, Bose firmly stated that while right-wing politics does not support the struggle for human liberation, the Left walks this path as the voice of the people.
Bose sharply criticized the Modi government's pro-US and pro-Israel foreign policy. He pointed out that while India once spoke against imperialism at the Bandung Conference in 1955, its current shift away from that position due to right-wing politics is shameful.
Palestine's Struggle Will Not Fail
Addressing a brief gathering near the Lenin Statue in Dharmatala after the march, Sujan Chakraborty vehemently condemned the attacks on all civilian areas in Palestine. He stated that Israel's Zionist aggression is directly fueled by the support of US imperialism. He highlighted that people across the world are taking to the streets in solidarity with Palestine.
Drawing a parallel to the struggle for liberation, Chakraborty reminded the gathered people that US imperialism could not crush Vietnam's liberation struggle, and similarly, the fight of the Palestinian people will not fail in the face of the combined attack by Israel and America. He asserted with conviction that the forces seeking to wipe out Palestine and Gaza will ultimately be defeated by the strength of humanity.
Kallol Mazumdar, a member of the Party's State Secretariat, affirmed that the Left has always been vocal against reactionary forces that strike at humanity. He underscored that there have been worldwide protests against the brutal violations of international law in Gaza, and Kolkata is no exception. The meeting, conducted by Tarun Banerjee, was also addressed by Debasish Mukherjee and Tamonash Bhattacharya.
